Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with ?

Forest nymph Echo was condemned to repeat the last words spoken to her by Hera the wife of Zeus whom she conspired against. Later in the forest she came across and fell in love with the beautiful youth Narcissus. She ran to him but he rejected her approach outright however not being able to take no for an answer she followed him as he journeyed. Eventually he knelt at a pool to drink upon seeing his own reflection in the still water he was immediately smitten ‘I love you ‘ he said to himself ‘love you’ Echo whispered in reply. His new found love was his obsession and he would not leave the pool to eat, nor disturb his image to drink and so he died of thirst and hunger and unrequited self-love. Echo died of a broken heart as she waited in vain for Narcissus to notice her. Neither left behind bones to bury but her voice reverberates gently around the mountains and caves and tiny yellow flowers grew where he fell.

Painting by John William Waterhouse (1849 -1917) ‘Echo and Narcissus’ 1903

The Orphanage

In a beautiful interpretation of the classic haunted house theme Laura (Belen Rueda ) returns to the orphanage where she lived as a child and encounters dark secrets therein . Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, visually this film is stunning, the sets and ocean scenes are mesmerising, the scary bits are terrifying but the powerful unexpected ending will wash away your fears with tears.

Another one bites the dust

Carla Bruni has transformed herself from beautiful Birkinesce hippy chick to Nurse Ratchet in just under two months. Nice work Nicolas, its goes to prove marriage is a bad look on women. Why stay single, happy and hot looking when you can marry some old president dude, gain 10 kilos and wear bad clothes for the rest of your life. Carla didn’t marry for the Euro’s she has money of her own. As for the Dior coat set it looks like Galliano was designing something for his mother when he came up with that outfit. Its depressing, Jackie O is so over.

The Unstoppable Heather Mills

The more I hear about this woman the more I admire her, she triumphs over every adversity life throws at her. I love that she managed to get over loosing a limb, she looks amazing all the time. She wanted Paul McCartney to marry her and he did, she wanted a decent divorce settlement and she got one – representing herself. She doesn’t take no for an answer ever, she gets her own way every time. No loophole is too small for her to wriggle through and no man or institution too large for her to conquer. Heather loves animals, she is says exactly what she thinks and obviously doesn’t give a f*ck what anyone thinks of her. Be inspired .......

Getting away with it

The ever lovely Kate Moss features on the cover of the new Vogue Paris, looking impossibly lovely after an evening heavy on the booze and fags. Don’t you just love how that magazine affiliates itself with one city not the whole country – “Paris is fashion Cherie but the rest of France - Pah! - its full of peasants!”

Dark I am but lovely

Daubentonia madagascariensis


Native only to the rain forests of Madagascar the Aye-aye is a ‘cousin’ of the Lemur and the largest nocturnal primate weighing in at around 2.5 kilos. He forages by night and sleeps by day in nests built high in forks of trees. They are highly athletic and prefer to swing around high in the forest canopy, while they are supreme trapeze artists they less graceful when walking and standing on the ground. Aye-ayes have an extra long middle finger used in a process called echolocation – tap taping on trees to locate wood boring insect bugs which they then hook out using the same digit. The super long finger is also useful for scooping out flesh of coconuts and other fruits that supplement its insect diet. Sadly, some superstitious natives of Madagascar consider the Aye-aye an omen of ill fortune – a harbinger of evil no less! Some believed that should you happen across one and he pointed his long finger at you – your number was up - Finito. Others believed that if an Aye-aye came into a village, which increasingly due to the destruction of the rain forest it was forced to do in search of food, then its presence meant a villager would die unless the Aye-aye was murdered first. This ‘kill on sight’ practice along with the destruction of it natural habitat has, unsurprisingly left the Aye-aye an endangered species. These guys are natural born libertines they are not monogamous. Thankfully they are now protected by law.

Prada Trembled Blossoms

Loving this beautiful animation commissioned by Prada for the Spring/Summer 08 collection , it reminds me very much of the work of Japanese artist Mariko Mori and the fantasy scenes from Pans Labyrinth. Click on title to view

Loves Labours Lost

‘its so nice to wake up in the morning all alone and not to have to tell somebody you love them when you don’t love them anymore ‘
A love poem by Richard Brautigan

Innerscents

Iris, a name I couldn't have chosen better myself , a bloom I would disgard from any bouquet, little more that a fancy daffodil and yet the perfume takes my breath away each time I inhale its dirty earthy intoxicating aroma. In the dark art of perfumery Iris rhizomes are harvested, dried, and aged for up to 5 years, the scent is said to be similar to violets. The aged rhizomes are steamed and distilled which produces a thick oily compound, known in the perfume industry as iris butter. My favourite Iris scents are the intense single note Iris by Prada not to be confused with the generic room spray qualities of the companies Infusion d'Iris. A beautiful woody iris fragrance , I adore the magic potion bottle with glass stopper and the £110 price tag! Iris Nobile by Acqua di Parma , a beautiful blend of iris and orange blossom with just a hint of anise and of course my age and namesake Iris39 created by Frank Voelkl for the amazing Le Labo company that I first came accross in Elizabeth Street New York, Collette in Paris and finally (thank you god) in Libertys in London.

Symbolism

The fleur-de-lis, a stylized iris, descends from the white iris which is native to Florence. This white iris, displayed against a red background, became the symbol of Florence until the Medici family, to signal a change in political power, reversed the colors making the white one red and setting in motion a centuries-long breeding program to hybridize a red iris. Catherine de Medici carried this symbol of Florence to Paris when she married the king of France .